Labour has today [Friday] revealed the true cost of the energy
crisis in education, as schools face their energy costs soaring
by up to a whopping £80 million.
New Labour analysis shows that state schools pay over £660
million in energy costs every year. With electric and gas costs
soaring, the average energy bill is likely to rise by 12% in the
coming months. In schools, that could bring total outlay up to
almost £740 million.
Given their larger size, secondary schools are likely to be hit
particularly badly by the rise. Back in 2016/17, secondary
schools spent around £90,000 per year on energy. Even if their
bills had remained static since then, this year’s rise will add
over £10,000 to each school’s energy bill.
Schools in the North East are due to be hit particularly hard by
the rise. A letter sent to schools in Northumberland has warned
of gas and electric prices rising by a shocking 48 per cent and
26 per cent respectively.
The price hike comes amid significant pressures on school
funding. Despite commitments at the Budget, by the end of
this Parliament school spending will not have grown in real terms
since 2010. Schools in poorer areas have been hit particularly
hard – with 58.3% of the most deprived schools seeing a
real-terms cut in funding since 2018.
Schools are also likely to face greater costs to heat classrooms
over the winter, given the need to keep windows open for
ventilation. In Bolton, one secondary school, Ladybridge High
School, has been forced to budget an extra £29,000 just to get
by.
The government has issued no specific advice to schools on how to
manage increases to energy costs without taking money away from
teaching and learning, and hasn’t updated its procurement advice
to schools since June.
,
Labour’s Shadow Schools’ Minister, responding to
the figures, said:
"Schools have done a tremendous job in helping children
throughout the pandemic. Yet with little government support for
catch-up, they’re operating on a shoestring, and just like
families everywhere are working desperately to make ends meet.
"What they don’t need is a £10,000 bill whacked on their desks
for gas and electric, forcing schools to choose between spending
on teaching, and keeping the lights on.
"Make no mistake about it – this is a crisis created in Downing
Street, through the Prime Minister’s failed energy policy and
unwillingness to invest in schools. This government needs to come
forward with a clear plan for how schools should deal with this
increase in costs. Children across the country cannot wait."
Ends
Notes to editors:
- £305,000,000 x 0.12 = £36,600,000
- £359,000,000 x 0.12 = £43,080,000
- £36,600,000 + £43,080,000
= £79,680,000
- A 12% rise to an average secondary school bill of £90,000
equates to £10,800
-
- School spending at 2010 levels by 2024/25 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-58993708
- Even if some schools are on fixed-rate tariffs and will avoid
an immediate rise, this will hit when their current deal runs
out. Furthermore, some schools are facing increases of
substantially above 12 per cent. For example, according to
Schools Week, schools in the North East have been told to expect
a near 50 per cent hike in their gas bills - https://schoolsweek.co.uk/energy-crisis-hits-schools-as-bills-to-rise-50/
- Between 2017-18 and 2020-21, average per-pupil funding in the
most deprived fifth of schools fell in real terms by 1.2%, while
per-pupil funding in the least deprived fifth increased by 2.9%.
In total, 58.3% of the most deprived fifth of schools saw a
real-terms decrease in per-pupil funding. - NAO
